Anakalypsis / Unveiling the Word

Matthew 5:31

It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

KJV

Ἐρρέθη δέ, ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, δότω αὐτῇ ἀποστάσιον.

Greek NT

Dictum est autem : Quicumque dimiserit uxorem suam, det ei libellum repudii.

Vulgate

It was said also, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

ASV

And it hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a bill of divorce.

Douay-Rheims

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In the original Greek

10 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

αὐτός
autos
pronoun · 5564×
γυνή
gune
noun · 219×
δέ
de
conjunction · 2781×
δίδωμι
didomi
verb · 414×
ἀπολύω
apoluo
verb · 67×
ἀποστάσιον
apostasion
noun · 3×
ἄν
an
particle · 165×
ἐρέω
ereo
verb · 96×
ὁ
o
article · 19778×
ὅς
os
relative_pronoun · 1404×

Intertextual echoes

This verse quotes or alludes to 1 earlier text.

  • Deut 24:1 · exact_quote
    "When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out o…"
    Deuteronomy: give her a certificate of divorce — Jesus on divorce

Textual variants

1 variant unit attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.

notable
SBLGNT: δέ | WH/Treg/NIV: δέ | RP: + ὅτι
  • δέ — SBLGNT
  • δέ — Westcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
  • + ὅτι — Robinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus

Doctrines that cite this verse

Historic Christian voices

5 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

§2262In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord recalls the commandment, "You shall not kill,"62 and adds to it the proscription of anger, hatred, and vengeance. Going further, Christ asks his disciples to turn the other cheek, to love their enemies.63 He did not defend himself and told Peter to leave his sword in its sheath.64 Legitimate defense
§2382The Lord Jesus insisted on the original intention of the Creator who willed that marriage be indissoluble.173 He abrogates the accommodations that had slipped into the old Law.174 Between the baptized, "a ratified and consummated marriage cannot be dissolved by any human power or for any reason other than death."175
Source. Translated by J. Walker, J. Sheppard and H. Browne, and revised by George B. Stevens. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 11. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1889.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/210213.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Adven…

Cross-references

  • Deut 24:1 — When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and
  • Jer 3:1 — They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many
  • Luke 16:18 — Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.
  • Mal 2:16 — For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherou
  • Mark 10:2 — And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.
  • Mark 10:4 — And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.
  • Mark 10:11 — And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
  • Matt 19:3 — The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
  • Matt 19:7 — They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
  • Matt 19:7 — They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?